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This article is about the 104th trainee and former Survey Corps member. For the other Survey Corps member called Braun, see Braun. For more pages referred to by this name, see Reiner Braun (Disambiguation).

Reiner Braun (ライナー・ブラウンRainā Buraun?) is a warrior from a mysterious place outside the walls he only refers to as his hometown. He is also a graduate of the 104th Training Corps and a former member of the Survey Corps. He ranked 2nd in the class, and was regarded by others as a charismatic and a reliable big brother-like figure.

Along with Bertolt Hoover and Annie Leonhart, he is a person that possesses the ability to transform into a Titan and serves an as-yet unrevealed group that lives outside the walls. In the year 845, he was on a mission with Bertolt to breach Wall Maria and infiltrate the military in search of the mysterious power known as the "Coordinate". After his true identity is revealed, he serves as a major antagonist and foil to Eren Yeager.

Contents

Appearance

Human Form

In human form, Reiner has short blond hair, pale eyes (gold in the anime), and a defined facial structure. His large height, broad shoulders, and serious expression give him an intimidating presence. He is tied as the third tallest currently known Titan Shifter along with Eren Yeager and Grisha Yeager who both stand at fifteen meters — which is apparently average among Shifters — and after the Beast Titan and Bertolt Hoover.

While Reiner is in his Armored Titan form, he is 15 meters tall. He has white plates of hardened skin[6] covering the entirety of his body, except for muscles in his cheeks that become exposed when he opens his lipless jaw, as well as the muscle tissue behind his knees, elbows and feet. His eyes are covered by white, organic lenses, and he has short, blond hair. In the anime, the hardened skin is golden-yellow, his hair is gray-white and his protective lenses are golden.[7] While fighting Eren, it has been noted that he has high agility and is capable of moving at a fast momentum, despite his seemingly-heavy weight and being low on stamina.

Personality

Reiner displays his personality when he states that sometimes, a soldier cannot back down

Reiner is a passionate and honest person, with a strong sense of duty. He takes his role as a soldier very seriously, and encourages others to do the same. However, he is also noted to have a kind heart and a tendency to always think of others before himself, taking on extra burdens for the sake of his comrades. He is stated to be the "big brother" of the other trainees.

However, he is also revealed to have serious emotional and mental problems as a result of his actions, displaying symptoms of dissociative identity disorder. While still loyal to his true cause as a warrior of Marley, he was unable to cope with the guilt and has begun to suppress his true memories in an effort to escape. During these episodes, he forgets his true identity, believing himself to be a human soldier. There appear to be few differences between his "soldier" persona and his true self, though his true "warrior" self is more ruthless and fatalistic out of necessity. He harbors a negative attitude towards himself, referring to himself as a "villain" and a "short-lived killer" that only Bertolt and Annie can understand. Even so, he continually places himself at risk in an effort to reach out to Eren and Ymir, trusting them more than is wise.

History

Reiner comes from a mysterious location outside the walls simply referred to as his Hometown, and began a mission to attack humanity in the year 845 with Bertolt, Marcel, and Annie, though Marcel was eaten by Ymir before the attack could begin. Little is known about his life prior to undertaking his mission, other than the fact that Bertolt and Marcel were his childhood friends. The exact nature of their group, and their mission is yet unknown. It is stated that their goal was to exterminate humanity, but their mission also involved locating and retrieving the Beast Titan and the mysterious ability called the Coordinate, currently possessed by Eren Yeager.

At some point prior to the attack on Wall Maria, he was attacked by a Titan later revealed to be Ymir. In the chaos, his friend Marcel pushed him to safety and died protecting him. This event appears to have left him deeply traumatized, as he flashes back to it in moments of stress and expresses an almost suicidal desire to place himself into harms' way for the sake of others.

Story

Reiner first appears in the year 845 as the Armored Titan, shortly after the Colossus Titan first breaches Wall Maria, participating in the attack on Shiganshina. During the chaos of the initial breach, Reiner enters the city in his Titan form and makes his way across it to the interior gate. Once there, he charges towards the gate and smashes through it, allowing Titans to invade Wall Maria.[8] At some point during the abandonment of Wall Maria, he passes himself off as a refugee and infiltrated human territory, staying in a refugee camp until he is old enough to enlist in the Military.

Two years after the destruction of Wall Maria, Reiner enlists in the military and becomes a member of the 104th Training Corps. On the first day of training, Reiner is one of the few students who the instructor Keith Shadis does not attempt to haze, as he is able to tell that Reiner has already been through a rite of passage.[9]

After failing repeatedly to operate the vertical maneuvering equipment, Eren seeks advice from his fellow cadets, and is sent to Reiner and Bertolt for help by Marco Bott. Though initially unfriendly towards Eren and Armin, Reiner quickly warms up to them after learning that they are from Shiganshina District and are still willing to enlist in the Survey Corps. He shares his desire to return to his lost Homeland, and and agrees to give Eren advice.[10]

During hand-to-hand combat training, he advises Eren to take his duty as a soldier seriously. Noticing Annie attempting to sneak away from training, he intercepts her and goads her into sparring with Eren. After seeing her easily dispatch Eren, he hesitates to take her on himself but is convinced to by Eren and quickly is defeated.[11]

Reiner is noted by Keith Shadis to have exceptional mental and physical fortitude, as well as a great ability to gain the confidence of his comrades. He eventually graduates 2nd in the class, finishing just behind Mikasa Ackerman.

As part of the defensive effort of the Military after the second attack of the Colossus Titan, Reiner is assigned to the front guard. However, with the supply team stuck in Trost's Military headquarters, he is essentially immobilized with many of his teammates on a rooftop. Joining Jean's group in the rush to the HQ, Reiner is one of the few soldiers who manage to reach the Military's headquarters alive. With the subsequent arrival of Armin and Mikasa, by way of the Rogue Titan, he helps to clear and secure the supply room.

Reiner and the others witness Eren's rampage

Initially skeptical, Reiner suggested they help the Rogue Titan when it is being overwhelmed by a group of Titans. Jean is hesitant and disagrees with his suggestion, stating they barely made it with their own lives and could use the opportunity to escape. However, any help turns out to be unnecessary when the Titan breaks free at the sight of the Titan that killed Thomas Wagner. After the Titan finishes its rampage, Reiner is amazed to see Eren emerge from the Titan's neck.

Later, after seeing what appears to be Titan vapor from inside the city, he and a small group scale the wall to see what is happening. Over the wall they see Eren protecting Mikasa and Armin from cannon fire, with a shield made from the torso of his Titan form.

In the aftermath of Trost, Reiner enlists in the Survey Corps. During the 57th expedition, he comes across Armin, who has narrowly survived an encounter with a Female Titan. Along with Jean, they devise a plan to follow the Female Titan and distract her to allow the formation time to regroup. Though he is advised against attempting to attack directly, Reiner uses Armin's distraction to launch himself at the Titan's weak point. However, he is caught in her grasp and nearly squeezed to death, only surviving by slicing himself free, scooping up a wounded Armin before running away on foot.

Reiner frees himself from the Female Titan

Afterwards, Reiner tends to Armin's head wound while Jean attempts to call back his missing horse. The group is preparing to decide who to leave behind, when Krista Lenz, having followed their flares, arrives with two extra horses, saving them. Stunned by her timely rescue and beauty, Reiner mentally expresses the desire to marry her.

The group rejoins the main force soon after, though they are frustrated by Erwin Smith's decision to continue the doomed mission and the lack of information available. Assigned to stand by at the edge of the Titan Forest and act as bait for the Titans, Reiner repeatedly expresses concern about what is going on inside the forest. When the mission ends in failure, he returns to Wall Rose in poor spirits.

Suspecting a traitor in their midst, Commander Smith sends those under suspicion of being an accomplice to Annie to an abandoned mansion on the outskirts of Wall Rose. The group is placed under the watch of Mike Zacharias and his squad, ordered to stand by without their equipment until further notice. Reiner occupies his time playing chess with Bertolt. Reiner later expresses his doubts over these orders, discussing his concerns with Connie Springer and offering to help his friend sneak out. They would never get a chance, as Sasha Blouse alerted the group to an oncoming horde of Titans. The recruits are sent out without their equipment, and ordered to travel to the nearby villages and warn them to evacuate.

Reiner joins the Southern squad and accompanies Connie to his home village, Ragako. There, they discover the village in ruins and a single crippled Titan collapsed on the Springer house. Unable to locate survivors or signs of bloodshed, the soldiers gather torches and prepare to begin looking for the Titans' entry point. When Connie relates that the strange Titan had greeted him, Reiner harshly chides him for imagining things and orders him to stay focused on the mission. After many hours of searching, the squad encounters Nanaba's squad and realize that they need to rest for the night. Locating the ruins of Utgard Castle, the soldiers take shelter inside for the night. When Connie mentions the strange Titan from his village again, Reiner begins to harshly lecture him—Ymir interrupts their argument by mocking Connie, ending the conversation there.

Later that night he finds Ymir searching for food, and she teases him by suggesting that he is attempting to sneak a grope. Continuing to tease him, she suggests that he might not be interested in women, and in response he suggests she is uninterested in men. She agrees with his assessment, relaxing and hearing out his request to continue distracting Connie so he does not worry about his missing family. However, he becomes suspicious of her when she is able to read the strange characters on a can. But before he can say more, the soldiers are summed to the tower by their superiors—Titans have appeared and are attacking the castle even though it is night.[12]

During the nighttime attack, Reiner and the others are ordered to head deeper into the castle to defend against invading Titans. He rushes ahead of the others to investigate, and barely manages to keep a Titan from breaking into the stairwell with the assistance of Bertolt and the others, who use an old cannon to crush it. While the group is recovering, a second Titan manages to enter the room and attacks Connie. Reiner pushes him to safety and is injured in the process, suffering a broken arm before the others are able to save him.[13]

Eventually, their superiors are all killed and the unarmed recruits are left to fend for themselves. In order to save the others, Ymir reveals herself to be a Titan Shifter and goes to fight alone. Reiner and Bertolt are shocked to recognize her as the Titan responsible for killing their childhood friend, Marcel.

As Ymir fights the many Titans, Historia almost falls off the tower but is saved by Reiner and Connie, though he does not let go of her foot for a few more seconds and apologizes for that. They continue to watch the battle down below with uncertainty, unable to make sense of Ymir's choice to allow their superiors to die and wondering what side she might be on. Krista firmly states she is on their side, and shouts for Ymir to tear down the tower if necessary to save herself. She does exactly that, but climbs up to rescue her comrades and rides the falling tower down to safety. However, several Titans survive and continue their attack on the survivors. Ymir is partially devoured, and Krista nearly caught before Hange's squad arrives to finally rescue the survivors.[14]

Mikasa severely wounds Reiner

In the aftermath of the battle, Reiner crumbles under the stress, worrying that he will not last much longer. Prompted by Eren's mention of their hometown, Bertolt attempts to cheer his friend up by reminding Reiner that now they are able to return home. The two briefly converse, before approaching Eren for a private talk. Reiner confesses their true identities as the Armored Titan and Colossus Titan, stating that if Eren leaves with them the walls will be safe. Eren initially plays it off as a joke, causing Reiner to wonder about his sanity and break down. Though deeply troubled, he accepts that he has no other options and decides to fight. Mikasa intervenes before he can attack Eren, seriously wounding Reiner and Bertolt.

Reiner and Bertolt transform into Titans

When she moves in to finish off a critically-wounded Bertolt, Reiner throws her from the wall before transforming. He manages to catch Eren, who is able to transform and engage the Armored Titan in battle.[5] As Eren and Reiner continued to fight, he was able to hold off Mikasa when she attempted to slice off nape of his neck in his Titan form.

Reiner vs. Eren

Eventually, Armin was able to discover a weak link to his line of defense because as he is protecting the nape of his neck, he suggested that she attack at his knee caps. Reiner was taken by surprise for a second attack by Mikasa, this time he was hit at the back of his knee. As the armor continued to break, he was able to scream and summon Bertolt to rescue him by leaping from the wall. The resulting explosion wounded most of the scouts present, and allowed him to capture Eren and escape the scene.

Eren vs the Armored Titan

Several hours later, Reiner and Bertolt transport Ymir and Eren to the Titan Forest, with them taking the opportunity to acquire Eren and Ymir's vertical maneuvering equipment while they were both unconscious.[15] As Eren wakes up, Reiner and Bertolt exchange grim glances with him in light of the aftermath of Eren and Reiner's fight. Eren openly questions why his arms have be severed off, and Reiner says he did it due to the little time he had of capturing him. Eren acknowledges his defeat against Reiner, giving both Reiner and Bertolt a cold glance. He attempts to transform by biting his rapidly healing arm but is stopped by Ymir, who informs him of the suspicious Titans lurking around. Reiner counters her words, saying that they lack the strength to transform anyway due to all their energy draining, and their bodies having their hands full rapidly healing their arms. Eren curses Reiner, saying who cares what he thinks, and Ymir questions Reiner and Bertolt's intentions of what they will do with them.

Mikasa attacks the Armored Titan

Reiner informs Eren and Ymir that they intend to bring them back to their hometown, but admits that he knows they will not come along willingly. Their location has become surrounded by Titans, and so he advises them to wait until nightfall before attempting to get away from them, and says that it will either end in their escape or their capture. Ymir guesses this means he is also too exhausted to transform, but avoids the question by saying he will leave it to her imagination.

Ymir asks Reiner why if the Titans at Utgard Castle could move at night, why they're waiting for night to pass to leave. Reiner says Ymir should already know the answer. As Ymir asks for something to drink, Reiner tells her he can not reach an area where it is available and acknowledges his lack of eating, drinking and sleeping for the last few days. He is glad that the wall was not broken in his battle against Eren, admitting that he is endured a lot and all while managing to keep the wall intact, and sincerely expresses his want for a "promotion" or appreciation. This visibly shocks Eren, and Reiner continues to say that Eren, Ymir and even Krista helped in their plan. As the others look on in shock, he continues discussing the events at Utgard Castle and claims that Krista must like him since she is always so nice to him. When Eren loses his temper and threatens him, Reiner becomes confused and asks what he said that was wrong. Eren threatens to kill him if he keeps acting like everything is just fine. Ymir notices Bertolt's expression, and confronts him about what they are witnessing. He finally speaks up, informing Reiner that he is "not a soldier", and that "we are warriors"; this prompts a dark, focused expression in Reiner, who appears more distraught with the words.

As Reiner collapses onto the branch and buries his face in his hand, Ymir theorizes that his strange behavior, such as saving Connie despite he being responsible for breaching the wall, resulted from repressing his own memories to cope with extreme guilt. She guesses he became so attached to his role as a human soldier, but lost track of who he was, or maybe that he could not stand the knowledge of the consequences of his actions and to protect his sanity, escaped and submerged himself in the belief that he was one of the soldiers protecting the wall. With his memories altered to suit his delusional state, she believes that the result of this was his consciousness splitting and even fabricating memories. She says that with his overly sincere personality, she is surprised to see him become what he has despite that. He furiously tells her to shut up, and she amusedly admits she might have said too much.

Reiner breaks down

Eren tells Reiner to stop playing around and accuses him of playing the victim, asking Reiner and Bertolt whether he remembers telling them that a Titan ate his mother, and Bertolt vaguely says he felt sorry for him at the time. Eren expresses that they are murderers responsible for the genocide of innocent people. Reiner irritatedly says he already is aware, and Eren tells him to stop grieving as if he is a victim and that he is no longer human, being responsible for turning their world into a living hell. A frustrated Reiner asks what Eren wants from them then, if he wants for him apologize or atone for his actions or admit that killing is bad. He says that the person Eren once knew is dead and if it makes him feel any better, he can scream all he likes. This gives Eren a new resolve, and he vows that they both will die horrible, excruciating deaths. Ymir finds Eren's assurance stupid yet amusing, but she questions Reiner on what the "ape-like Titan" was, noting that Reiner and Bertolt both looked like gawking, excited children at his appearance. She reveals that the ape-like Titan must have been responsible for the sudden appearance of Titans from the south, and that he might be what they need to return to their hometown. Realizing Ymir might know something, Eren frivolously questions her in which she vaguely mutters a reply but is interrupted by Reiner. He asks whether she believes that their world has a future, shocking everyone. He says that, considering all she knows, she should come over to "their side" and return with them to their hometown. He insists that she is trustworthy, since they share the goal of protecting Krista and he can ensure her future in exchange for Ymir's cooperation.[16]

Bertolt expresses his concern over allying with Ymir, and they recall how she once ate their friend, Marcel. But Reiner argues that this further proves that Ymir can be trusted to cooperate with them, since her motivations are obvious. This causes Bertolt to question Reiner's state of mind, but he reassures him and reminds him that Krista is an important member of a Noble family. They discuss whether or not Eren is the "Coordinate" they were sent to find, and decide that Krista's ties to the Church of the Walls may help their mission.

The two briefly discuss accomplishing their mission and returning home. Reiner suggests that Bertolt confess his feelings to Annie once they return home, and bitterly notes that their crimes mean no one else could understand them. Their conversation is cut short when they notice signal flares in the distance, and realize that soldiers have pursued them. He attempts to convince Eren to cooperate and go quietly with them, but is forced to choke him into unconsciousness after a brief struggle.

As they flee through the forest, Ymir notices the flares and demands to be allowed to see Krista. Reiner and Bertolt refuse her at first, but are forced to give into her demands after she threatens them. Once Ymir returns from successfully kidnapping Krista, he transforms into his Titan form and flees with the others clinging to his back.[17] The other graduates of the 104th manage to catch up to him, climbing onto his Titan form. He ignores them until Mikasa attacks Bertolt, cupping his hands around his neck in order to provide his partner a safe place to hide. While the others confront Bertolt over his actions, Reiner continues to focus on fleeing towards Wall Maria.

Reiner forces his way through dozens of Titans

Commander Erwin Smith lures a massive horde of Titans directly into his path, forcing Reiner to make a suicidal charge. Their sheer numbers overwhelm him, restricting his movement and eventually forcing him to begin fighting back—leaving Bertolt and Eren exposed. This allows the soldiers to make a second rush, and in the chaos, Armin is able to get onto his head and confront Bertolt. He reveals that Annie has been captured, and claims she is being tortured in order to confuse and upset the pair. Reiner is horrified by this news, and is unable to prevent Erwin from ambushing Bertolt. With Eren freed, the soldiers begin to retreat. In an act of desperation, he begins to throw the Titans attacking him into the path of the fleeing humans.[18]

This causes chaos on the battlefield, as soldiers are knocked from their horses and the Titans begin to attack them. Jean Kirstein and Armin Arlert express horror at his actions, wondering whether he even cares anymore about the danger of Eren being killed. His assault is only stopped when Eren's power as the Coordinate manifests, causing the Titan horde to attack the Smiling Titan in his stead. This shocks and horrifies Reiner, who senses the power but seems resistant to Eren's control.

He realizes that this is the worst possible situation, thinking that Eren is the worst possible person to possess that power. Free from the Titan horde, he charges after Eren with unknown intentions. However, he is stopped in his tracks when Eren screams at him to stay away and threatens to kill him. The Titan horde react to this command by abandoning their previous kill, swarming the Armored Titan with renewed aggression. Reiner realizes they have lost, expressing the fear that he will not be able to keep Bertolt safe.

Bertolt, Reiner and Ymir fighting together against the Titans

The soldiers take the chance to retreat, leaving Reiner to the Titan horde. He desperately attempts to fend them off, shielding Bertolt with one hand. Just as he would feared, he is quickly overwhelmed and unable to protect his partner from the Titans. But before one can kill Bertolt, Ymir reappears and begins to fight alongside the pair. The three Titan Shifters begin to fight together, while the human soldiers retreat back to the walls.

They survived the battle and returned to the ruins of the Shiganshina District. Though unharmed, he is physically exhausted and deeply shaken by the events of the past two days. He questions Ymir about her actions, and tries to persuade her to escape since her fate is uncertain if she goes with them. However, she refuses and instead expresses her gratitude towards the traitors for their role in freeing her from her Titan form.[19]

Eren later expresses the desire to catch him and make him pay for his crimes, suggesting that he believes they survived.[20]

Armed with Eren's recollections of the conversation between Bertolt and Ymir, Hange theorizes that Titans can absorb powers from devoured victims. Based on this, she theorizes that the Armored Titan's reason for throwing Titans during the previous battle was an attempt to have Eren devoured. This would have allowed the creation of a new Titan Shifter with the Coordinate, one more amiable to their group. She theorizes that the Reiss family intends to do the same thing to Eren.[21]

Later, when Rod Reiss transforms into a Titan and Squad Levi is forced to escape the crumbling chapel, Eren notices a canister that belonged to Rod labelled "Armor - Braun". Although the relation to Reiner and the bottle is unknown, Eren ingests it in order to fight Rod.[22]

Reiner is defeated by the Beast Titan in Shiganshina

Two months after Historia was crowned queen, Reiner was defeated in battle by Zeke. As he was pulled from his Titan form by Bertolt, Zeke declared himself the winner, and that the rescue of Annie Leonhart could wait until after they had acquired the Coordinate from Eren.[23]

A while later, Reiner and Bertolt are seen on Wall Rose, appearing to have stayed the night on the wall. They watch on as they see the Scouts leaving the walls.[24]

Reiner is heavily wounded by Levi

When the operation starts, Reiner is seen watching the operation with decisive eyes, seemingly ready to act.[25] After being discovered hiding inside Wall Maria because of Armin's idea, Reiner quickly dispatches the Survey Corps member that found him, before turning to attack Armin.[26] However, Reiner is stopped by the interference of Levi, who quickly slices the nape of Reiner's neck before stabbing him through the midsection.[27] Despite this, Reiner miraculously survives Levi's attack by transferring his neurological functions from his brain to his entire body, and is kicked down to the ground below Wall Maria, where he shifts to his Titan form while his human body twitches and his eyes glow. As the Beast Titan begins his attack, Reiner rises and turns to face Eren, ready to fight against him once again.[28]

Reiner after the Survey Corps's attack with the Thunder Spears

Focused on his fight with Eren, he fails to prevent the Survey Corps' surprise attack. Their first strike almost blinds him, while the second strike is strong enough to break open the armor around his neck, their final strike hits him several times causing a huge, explosive charge.[29] After the explosion, Reiner's seemingly lifeless body is left fully exposed in the nape, his head destroyed from the jaw upward. Having survived his injury to some extent, he cries out the signal for Bertolt to be sent over Wall Maria.[30] As Bertolt comes soaring over the wall, he spots Reiner and comes to his side, confirming that despite his injuries he is still alive. When Bertolt goes to confront the Survey Corps, Reiner's Titan lies supine upon the street to prevent the Survey Corps from finishing him off while he slowly regenerates his head.[31] Following his regeneration, Reiner additionally turns into the Armored Titan and supports the Colossus Titan in wreaking havoc on Shiganshina District.[32] Mikasa, Jean, Sasha, and Connie head towards Reiner with a plan of action. Having regenerated his brain, Reiner flees towards Eren's position only to be stopped by Mikasa's Thunder Spear. Reiner lies confused, having lost all memory of the events following his farewell to Bertolt.

Mikasa defeats the Armored Titan

As Jean, Sasha, and Connie come in to attack, he strikes at the roof of a building, sending debris into Sasha and Jean while Connie uses his Thunder Spear to unhinge half of the Armored Titan's jaw. With Sasha's Thunder Spear missing its mark, Mikasa realizes she has the last Thunder Spear and the plan is now endangered. At that moment, Hange arrives at the battle, destroying the other hinge of Reiner's jaw with her own Thunder Spear. Mikasa jumps on the Armored Titan's unhinged jaw, ordering him to get out as she sends her Thunder Spear into his mouth, sending Reiner flying out of the nape of his Titan and defeating him.[33]

After being defeated, it is discovered by Hange that Reiner had been carrying a metal case with him during the battle. As she interrogates Reiner, Hange demands to know what is inside the case, and Reiner admits that it is a letter from Ymir that he had promised to give to Historia. After Reiner refuses to answer any more questions, Hange prepares to execute him. Before she can, however, Jean suggests using the Titan serum to steal Reiner's Titan power, which Hange reluctantly agrees to. Mikasa is sent to retrieve the serum and is ordered to fire a Signal Flare if there is a change of plans, in which case Reiner will be executed.[34]

After Mikasa departs, she fires a flare to signal that Reiner should be executed. However, before Reiner can be killed, he is rescued by Zeke and the Quadrupedal Titan, who retrieves and retreats with him to the top of Wall Maria.[35]

Abilities

Reiner utilizing vertical maneuvering equipment

"Strong-willed with a solid constitution. Adept at gaining trust of his comrades.-Instructor Keith Shadis

As one of the top ten graduates of the 104th Training Corps, Reiner is likely highly competent in the use of vertical maneuvering equipment and respective weapons. He is also one of the best hand-to-hand fighters among the recruits, having also trained other skilled fighters such as Eren. Reiner is noted to possess both a strong body and will, both in his human and Titan form.

Reiner is able to transform into a 15 meter Titan referred to as the Armored Titan (鎧の巨人Yoroi no Kyojin?) in the series. Reiner uses this form to break down the inner gate of Wall Maria and actively uses it after he reveals his identity and objective to Eren. As with the other Titan Shifters, it is unknown how Reiner acquired his powers. The Armored Titan is capable of assuming human form at will, due to the intelligence it demonstrates in appearing to work with the Colossus Titan in breaching Wall Maria. As he retains his human intelligence, he uses his hand-to-hand combat skills against other human-turned-Titans such as Eren, which in conjunction with his armor-like skin, gives him a solid advantage in combat.

Regeneration: Reiner, like all other Titans and Titan Shifters alike, has the power to automatically regenerate any wounds sustained and even entire limbs. This also applies to his human form as seen when he sustained a broken arm in a scuffle against a Titan in Utgard Castle, his arm was almost fully healed when he rejoins the Survey Corps on top of Wall Rose. Furthermore, Reiner loses the bottom part of his forearm when it is sliced off by Mikasa, however, he is seen with a complete limb by the time he is in the Titan Forest a couple of hours later.

Regeneration Withdrawal: Reiner possesses the ability to consciously control his regenerative ability, keeping it "off" to prevent injuries from blowing his cover as a Titan spy. He is the only one shown to be able to use this specific ability, and notably in human form. Whether this extends to other regenerative abilities, such as the selective regeneration practised by the Female Titan, is unknown.

Enhanced Strength: During the battle in the Shiganshina District, Reiner in his Titan form demonstrated enough physical power to smash through the inner gate of Wall Maria with a running start.[7] While squaring off in an attempt to capture Eren in his Titan form, Reiner was shown to easily overpower his opponent with punches powerful enough to blow at least half of his head off. Reiner’s tackle had enough force to throw Eren’s Titan form back into Wall Rose cracking it in the process. In addition, he uses his unique hardened skin to supplement his physical blows making them deadlier than those of normal-based Titans.

Reiner's great speed and resistance

Enhanced Speed: During the battle in the Shiganshina District, Reiner in his Titan form demonstrated enough speed to quickly cross the gap to the inner gate of Wall Maria preventing cannons from accurately firing at him. While fully armored his speed is noted to be much slower, however, Reiner has shown that he can choose to shed certain areas of his armor, such as joints located at the back of his legs, boosting his overall speed.[37] This tactic was used several times by him successfully during his fight against Eren’s Titan form.

Armor Hardening: While transforming into the Armored Titan, Reiner's body automatically produces a hardened, armor-like skin that covers most of his body, save for areas such as his joints at the back of his legs. The armor is hard enough to repel concentrated cannon fire without even stopping him, blows from other Titan Shifters such as Eren, as well as blade strikes from the vertical maneuvering equipment. The durability of this armor is enough to withstand a direct collision from the Colossus Titan who fell from the top of Wall Rose wounding most people in the area, incapacitating Eren's Titan form, and leaving a large crater in the ground. As stated previously, the Armored Titan can choose to harden or not to harden joints at will, sacrificing speed and combat ability for protection. However this is his only remarkable weak spot: similar to a medieval armor,[38] his body needs gaps around the joints in order to move with necessary speed. This makes him vulnerable in just a few spots, like the inner part of his knees and his elbows. Additionally, he can harden his fingertips and toes into points in order to grip and climb flat, vertical surfaces like the walls.[39]

Steam Generation: Reiner's Titan seems to overheat, judging by the "fire breath" that appeared after destroying the Inner Gate of Wall Maria. As his Titan bears solidified skin over most of its body, it seems that the excess heat and vapor build up and must be vented out through the mouth. The extent of this function the single time it appears was enough to superheat and ignite the steam that came out.

Brain Function Transfer: During the battle for Shiganshina District, Reiner was able to prevent his certain death on multiple occasions after transferring the functions of his brain into the rest of his body. With this profound ability, he was able to survive a direct strike to his spinal cord in the neck by Levi Ackerman's blade. Shortly afterwards, he could use this same ability to maintain some control over his Titan form after his brain was destroyed by a Thunder Spear explosion[30] by using his Armored Titan's brain as a backup, even to the point of regenerating his head after the fact. However, it is said that this ability is incredibly difficult to successfully carry out and is only used as a last resort.[31] This proved to be the case when Reiner regained consciousness after regenerating his head, but lacking the memories of everything that had happened after parting ways with Bertolt earlier that morning.[33]

Relationships

Bertolt Hoover - Bertolt was his childhood friend and partner, working closely with him in their mission. They were rarely seen apart, with Reiner taking the lead most of the time. Ymir notes that his psychological issues have caused friction between them, though it is revealed that Bertolt was vital in helping him maintain his grasp on reality. During their failed mission to kidnap Eren, he expresses a great desire to keep Bertolt safe, placing himself at a major disadvantage in order to protect him.

Marcel - Another one of Reiner's childhood friends, Marcel pushed Reiner out of the mouth of a Titan during the start of their mission, and was eaten by Ymir. Reiner regrets the loss of his friend, and even saves Connie from a Titan similarly to how Marcel saved his life, illustrating his emotional connection with him. Upon remembering the death of Marcel, it seemingly further motivates Reiner and Bertolt to complete their mission and return to their hometown.

Annie Leonhart - Reiner and Annie have a somewhat strained relationship, though avoid letting this get in the way of their mission. His efforts to prank her or strike up conversations tend to go over poorly. However after revealing that Reiner and Annie were Titan Shifters, he started worrying about her, to the point of fighting the Beast Titan so he could let him rescue Annie.[23]

Eren Yeager - Eren was one of his closest friends, with Eren considering him both a "strong, capable guy" and something of a big brother. Eren looked up to Reiner, expressing that he wanted to become strong like him. However, their friendship turns violently antagonistic after he revealed his true identity to Eren, and the two are forced to fight. Eren recalls seeing Reiner's overflowing expression of justice after graduating the 104th Training Corps, and is now disgusted by his former friend. After he is kidnapped and taken to the forest, Eren abandons his former feelings for Reiner and looks at him with hate and rage and says he will make sure they die in the most painful way possible. Upon learning of Eren's power as the Coordinate, he reacts with great concern and notes that Eren is the worst possible person to possess it. Later, it is revealed that he could have obtained a less dangerous host for the Coordinate all along. However, since it required Eren's death, he avoided such extreme measures until pushed too far. This suggests a lingering affection towards Eren, even after they become enemies.

Connie Springer - Connie is also one of his closest friends, and someone that Reiner has repeatedly put himself into harm's way to protect. After his true nature is revealed, Connie refuses to believe that Reiner is truly their enemy. After Reiner's escape with Bertolt and Eren, Connie questions the traitors, asking if the time they had as trainees was fabricated. Connie mentions that they said they would grow old and drink together, but a distressed Bertolt says that it was all real.

Armin Arlert - Reiner had a close friendship with Armin, even risking his own scores to help the smaller boy during training. They frequently sat together during meals[41], and played chess during their free time. When the Female Titan attacked, Reiner seemingly came to his rescue. However, this turned out to have been a ruse and their friendship was shattered by the revelation of Reiner's true identity.

Sasha Blouse - In A Sudden Visitor: The Tormenting Curse of Puberty, he is shown to work closely with Sasha and Connie during training and later, during her contest against Jean. When he expresses doubt and attempts to abandon their hunt for the Colossus Boar, she slaps and then elbows him. She shouts nonsense at him about his ancestors, and while he admits he does not quite get it he apologizes to her and rejoins the hunt.

Ymir - Their relationship is complex. They recognize quite a bit about each other's motivations, and share a desire to keep Historia safe from harm. He uses these feelings to manipulate Ymir into becoming their ally, but he also expresses more trust in her than Bertolt feels is wise. Unlike Bertolt, he does not appear to harbor any ill will towards her for nearly killing him as a child, nor for killing Marcel. Having failed his mission and even knowing that he cannot go home empty handed, he attempts to persuade Ymir to save herself by escaping.

Historia Reiss - It has been hinted that he may have feelings for her, though it is unclear whether this is a simple crush or something stronger. It is also unclear whether these feelings are part of his delusions, or genuine.

Indirectly

Failed attempts

Trivia

In a blog post on April 17, Isayama revealed that Reiner's Titan image (the Armored Titan) was actually based on Brock Lesnar, an American professional wrestler and former Mixed Martial Artist.[48]

In Episode 2 of the anime, a young Reiner and Bertolt are in the crowd when the mission to reclaim Wall Maria is announced. This is an anime-only cameo.

According to Hajime Isayama, amongst his fellow 104th squadmates, Reiner is the most popular boy.[49]

August 1, Reiner's birthday, is celebrated as an unofficial fan holiday known as "Yaoi Day". This is due to Japanese wordplay, with 801 being short hand for the genre which focuses on homosexual themes.

This date is also Lammas Day (Anglo-Saxon hlaf-mas, "loaf-mass"), the festival of the wheat harvest, and is the first harvest festival of the year.

In the early draft of the series, when the graduates discuss the branches they intend to join, Reiner states his intention to join the Survey Corps. In the published version, he never states his intentions.[50]

Reiner's Titan form has a lot of similarities with Urien from Street Fighter saga, they are very similar in both appearance and combat techniques.

Quotes

I have to go back home, even though there's nothing left to go home to. That purpose is all that's left inside me... I will go back... no matter what.